An Unlikely Pair
by Lucie Grace
Summary: Serena and Darien live to torture each other. But what unlikely person does Serena turn to when she is hurt by Tuxedo Mask's words? UM season one fic.
1. Chapter 1: Baka and the Odango

Hi anybody and everybody who is reading this...thanks! This is not the first fanfic I've ever written, but it the first one I have put up on the web. So both positive and negative reviews with suggestions for improvement are welcomed with open arms!

This story is a bit of an anime and manga plotline mixed up with my own bits and pieces. As always, its Usagi/Mamoru (although I've used the english dub names). Hope you enjoy:-)**

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**Chapter 1: Baka and the Odango**

Serena hurried out of detention and sprinted down the street toward the arcade, hoping she wasn't too late to see Andrew. He got off at 5:00, and today Serena was in detention until 4:30 because she was late for the third time that week. And today was only Wednesday. Her thoughts drifted into daydreams as she continued to hurry around corners and past cars, turning to run through the door when—

She ran straight into something hard and green. She looked up. "Oh no," she thought, her heart sinking, "_Baka_."

"Hey, watch it there, Odango! You're lucky it was only me you ran into, 'cause if it had been any little kid you probably would have flattened them."

"Oh shut up, Darien, and get out of my way," Serena snapped. She was not about to let Darien waste her precious little time she had that afternoon.

"I would, but it seems you have managed to get that insanely long hair of yours caught around the button of my jacket," he said, gesturing.

"Oh." Serena felt even stupider. Not to mention that if there was one person in the world she would rather not get stuck to, it was the man right in front of her. She struggled with her hair for a few moments, and finding no success at untangling it, stiffened her resolve and pulled hard until a few strands broke and released her from her captor. It had hurt, but she wasn't about to let tears fall and say so. Darien would tease her for it, and Andrew was just a few feet away. "Now, move," she said finally, thrusting Darien's blockade of the door out of the way. He smirked and stalked away.

She walked into the arcade not only to greet Andrew's smiling face, but also those of her four friends: Ami, Raye, Lita, and Mina. But they had different sorts of smiles on their faces, almost more like bemused grins…

"Hey Serena!" Andrew said, "The usual?"

"Yes, _please_," Serena said. He brought her a chocolate shake and she paid him before going to sit down with her friends. Gosh it was good to be out of school and away from that baka…

Raye turned to Serena, smirking. "Smooth move, back there, Odango." Serena glared. It wasn't like it was _her_ fault—well, maybe it was, but Serena would never admit it. So she gave Raye a look of contempt but didn't say anything.

Unfortunately, however, that wasn't the end of the conversation concerning the baka. Lita and Mina exchanged glances before eying Serena as though they knew something she didn't. Okay well, maybe there was a lot others knew that she didn't, but their stares was making her nervous just the same. Serena sighed.

"What is it, you two? Something else I klutzed out on?" Mina spoke first.

"Well, no, not exactly, it's just—" she chanced a glance at the other three, "It seems like maybe there is more going on between you two than you let on." Serena laughed sarcastically.

"Oh yes, and next you're going to be telling me that you think he's Tuxedo Mask! HA! As if _anyone_ could like that baka; the way he waltzes around like he's king of the earth or something…." But Mina just raised her eyebrows, and Raye said simply,

"Serena, we know you better than you know yourself. Come on, admit it. Besides, we think he likes you too."

"Very funny, guys, but this joke is out of my taste. Cut it out already." Serena laughed but then saw the seriousness in their faces and looked at them all like they had eight heads instead of four. "You…you _are _kidding….right?" Lita shook her head and smiled weakly.

"Serena, honestly, we know you two actually care for each other. It's time you both admitted it."

"You're all insane!" Serena said loudly, "We're talking about Darien the baka! This is absurd!" When she heard no response, Serena realized she was fighting a losing battle and took a deep breath. "Okay, listen, this conversation is going nowhere. Time for a new topic."

Ami seemed to be thinking along the same lines as she quickly lowered her voice turned the conversation to sailor business.

"There's a ball downtown tonight I can bet that Zoicite's going to be there in search of another rainbow crystal. We are supposed to meet Luna at the temple at 6:00 tonight. Okay guys?"

"Right." A chorus of four girls responded, and they all got up to leave.

Serena walked home alone, lost in thought. Her friends were insane! Surely they realized the sincere dislike she and Darien had for each other. It wasn't exactly hard to see; every one of them was smart enough to realize how ridiculous their ideas were. But—but even Ami had remained silent, which Serena knew meant she was in agreement with the rest but didn't want to voice her opinions. Serena was thoroughly confused. It was _Darien_, the man who teased her, the one whose purpose on earth seemed to be merely to humiliate and annoy her to death. But then, he _was_ attractive, even if it was in a jerk sort-of way. Whoa! Did she really have feelings for Darien that even she didn't know about? No. Surely not. Her heart was already given to one man, and his true identity she didn't know. She liked Tuxedo Mask, and that was that. Sure Andrew was cute, but she had always known that he would never see her as more than a little sister figure. But there was something very familiar about Tuxedo Mask, like a memory packed away in a corner of her mind that she just couldn't quite reach.

Serena's mind continued to spin as she wandered home to change before meeting the girls. And then she realized that since this was _sailor business_, she could legally use the luna pen.

"Ha! Luna, take that! You can't yell at me for using it tonight!" And she scurried into the house in excitement.

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	2. Chapter 2: A Night from the Past

Hey guys! Thanks to merangelgal, supersaiyanx, and GilmoreGirlsRocks (and haha, totally agree; gilmore girls is the best show ever) for reviewing:-) Sorry, the chapters aren't going to be very long, but it's easier for me to write in short segments during...looks anxiously around room for eavesdroppers... whispers AP calculus. But that way, I can also update faster, and I promise I will updates will be frequent and there will be many of them!

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**Chapter 2: A Night from the Past**

Serena sighed to herself as she was spun around. She was Sailor Moon in disguise, and she was dancing with none other than Tuxedo Mask himself! Was this really reality? She sniffed the air and smelled his rosy fragrance.

Yes, yes it was.

She had always harbored this dream about Tuxedo Mask and herself, but it had always been, well, a dream and nothing more. But tonight was real. Forget stupid Darien; Tuxedo Mask was dancing with her!

She had disguised herself with the Luna Pen in a beautiful white dress, trimmed with pearls and long white gloves. The sailor scouts were supposed to be here to bust Zoicite before she had the chance to get her hands on another rainbow crystal. She had split up with Ami, Raye, Mina, and Lita over the dance floor when a firm hand had grasped her shoulder and turned her around.

"May I have this dance?" he had asked warmly, extending his hand and looking down into her bright blue eyes with the deep blue ones from behind his mask. The sparkle in them sent a chill down her spine. She placed her hand in his, and immediately felt a surge of power pass through them. She started and looked up to see a surprised look on his face.

"_Did he feel it too?_" she wondered.

The next moment, however, his gaze relaxed once more, and he placed one hand on her back and took the other in his. They danced and danced—it seemed a blissful eternity—until he slowed the pace and led her away quietly, beckoning her to follow him through the crowd and off the dance floor so they walked out onto the flower petal-strewn patio and into the warm spring night.

They stopped and sat on the edge of a fountain when the music had faded to barely be heard in the distance, their profiles illuminated in a beam of moonlight. Tuxedo Mask was still holding her gloved hand.

They sat in silence for a moment as white flower petals floated past in the wind, and Serena wondered how he could recognize her. Did he even realize he was dancing with Sailor Moon? And if so, did that mean he knew her true identity? No, surely not, after all, she had used the luna pen countless times and no one had ever recognized her as Serena or her superhero counterpart. But at that moment he seemed to be reading her thoughts.

"I know you're wondering why I recognize you, Sailor Moon,"

She nodded silently, her gaze into his eyes unmoving, but panic spreading though her mind. Luna had said that the Sailor Scouts couldn't trust Tuxedo Mask's motives. But her heart disagreed; it was telling her to trust the man. There was something there in his eyes; his deep, night sky blue eyes that reminded her of a lost happy memory.

He spoke again and brought her back from her thoughts.

"This doesn't make sense, I know—but there's some kind of intuition or something that's telling me it's you. I can't explain it." A few more moments of silence passed, hand in hand, until Serena gained the courage to pose the question she was dying to know the answer to.

"How come you always come to save me?"

He thought for a moment, gazing up at the stars above, before turning to face her and answering her question.

"I honestly don't know. I just feel this pull inside of me when you're in trouble. I really don't know how or why it works the way it does, but I have this sense that for some reason, it's my responsibility to protect you." He gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Subconsciously, Serena noticed how their faces were drawing closer—and closer—and closer, and then—

Tuxedo Mask drew away sharply.

"Sailor Moon," he began coldly, and she looked up at him, hey eyes glistening with tears of hurt. She wished she could still feel his warm presence, but the mere few inches he had put between them made him feel much more distant.

"I can't do this," he said slowly, as though he were restraining an elastic force pulling him into her, "My duty is not to you but to my Princess. I could never love you," he said simply, and turned away. A tear slipped down her face as she watched him sink into the shadows, the moonlight glow gone from his fading figure in the distance.

Darien let a tear slip from his eye when he reached the shadows. He didn't want to hurt Sailor Moon like this, but what other choice did he have? "I could never love you," he had told her. And it was the truth. It was unfair for him to steal her heart when he was supposed to remain faithful to the princess in his dreams. But why should he listen to those dreams? What proof did he have for their reality, in comparison to the reality of his feelings for Sailor Moon? He knew in his heart he was in love with the Sailor Moon, but he had a responsibility to someone else. He had been having those dreams for months now, and each time his princess seemed more and more desperate. He didn't know what his feelings were for the dream princess, but he knew the real girl before him loved him as much as he loved her, even when they knew not each other's real identities.

It was strange, but while he had this duty to the princess, he felt more compelled to protect and care for Sailor Moon than he did for the girl in his dreams who claimed to have his heart. But in tonight his mind had beaten out his heart. He had been so close; he could have kissed her in another moment, but he had pulled away. He continued to walk deeper into the darkness, lost in thought as he cursed himself for breaking both her heart and his own.

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	3. Chapter 3: Fight and Flight

Hey everybody!

Sorry it took me so long to update; I don't what's wrong with my computer but it won't let me upload documents to the document editor all of a sudden. So I had to wait until after the weekend to update. :-( But I'm back with chapter three!

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**Chapter 3: Fight and Flight**

Beep, beep, beep! Serena awoke from her melancholy trance suddenly and grabbed her communicator. Ami's head appeared and said quickly,

"Serena, transform now! Zoicite's here with a youma!" Serena took no time in grasping her broach and shouting,

"Moon Prism Power!" And in a flash of bright colors and ribbons she was gone.

Bolting back into the ballroom, Serena was confronted with all the dancers collapsed on the floor, and Mercury, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter trying feebly to resist the encroaching youma. One by one, Serena watched horrified as each Sailor Scout fell to the floor in a faint. Serena's heart was still broken, but it was swelled with worry for her friends when she saw them and filled her chest with courage.

"Hold it there, you Nega-scum!" The youma turned around, stunned and confused.

"Leave my friends alone," Serena cried, "I'm sick of dealing with all this Nega-trash! Time to take out the garbage!" And with that, Serena threw her tiara with a flourish and a 'Moon Tiara Action!' It glanced off the youma, mildly injuring it, but alive and angry nonetheless. Serena began to panic as it advanced upon her, knowing she could not combat it alone. If all the other Sailor Scouts couldn't defeat it, she was for sure a goner. Her tiara was not enough to defeat such a powerful youma by itself. She backed away into a corner, and just as the youma aimed a fireball at her, she jumped away.

"Sailor Moon, you need to focus," she told herself, "There is no Tuxedo Mask to save you now." Tuxedo Mask. Tears welled up once again her eyes as memories from the last hour returned. _Tuxedo Mask didn't love her…_

She saw another fireball speeding in her direction, but she didn't care anymore. She closed her eyes, awaiting the blow—

But it didn't come. She opened her eyes to find herself in the arms of Tuxedo Mask. The man who had broken her heart. He swooped down and replaced her feet firmly on the ground, although he still held a firm grip around her waist, of which she was very aware. He threw a rose, slashing the youma across the face.

"Dust her, Sailor Moon! Now! You _must _believe in yourself!" he cried, still eying the youma.

"Right," she said breathlessly, trying to mentally shake herself; his arm that had wrapped itself around her waist was terribly distracting. And yet, at the same time, his arm also encouraged her in some way she couldn't explain…

"Moon Tiara Magic!" she said, her voice returning strongly. The next moment, the youma had fallen before them in a heap of sand.

Sailor Moon turned to look into the eyes of her rescuer. For a moment, her voice vanished again, but the next, her determination to understand brought it back.

"Why…why did you come to save me if……if you don't…" but she was spared the pain of uttering the last few words when he cut her off with his hand.

"Sailor Moon, I only came to help you because I sense that without your help, the Negaverse will triumph in the end. But my loyalty must lie with someone else. We can never be together. Good-bye."

His cape whipped around and the next moment, he was gone to the rooftops, and tears welled up in Sailor Moon's eyes yet again. She bent down and picked up the red rose that had struck the youma. One of its petals fell to the ground as she fingered it slowly, causing tears to slip down her face. How could he possibly hurt her so? Was her love really so unrequited? But her thoughts were redirected as she heard the other Sailor Scouts groaning and waking up. She pocketed the flower and quickly dried her eyes on the back of her hand, trying to smile as she walked over to help her friends. Once the five had de-transformed and Serena had insured they were all fine, Mina suggested they stay for the remainder of the ball, but Serena declined quietly, shaking her head with a slightly melancholy look.

"I'm tired guys. You all can stay and have fun, but I think I'm gonna head on home." Lita objected, but Serena gave a weak smile and told them to stay. "I'll see you guys at the temple tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," they all said, although the worry was still written across their faces.

Serena left the ball through the front doors, walked out onto the front lawn, and made sure she was alone in the shadows before bursting into tears. She sobbed so hard and so loudly that she didn't even hear the rumbling of thunder announcing the arrival of dark clouds overhead.


	4. Chapter 4: Thunderstorms and Nightmares

Hey everyone,

I was going to save the next tiny installment for tomorrow or Friday but I decided to split it into two really short parts so I can tease everybody and wet their appetites for tomorrow. So here's the next tinsy-tiny chappie.

Later: I also decided I should note that I really love this chapter, despite its small size, because it started as a writing about my own heart-breaking experience, which, incidentally had nothing to do with a relationship with a guy, but anyway…. At the time, I was really hurt and I wrote the first bit of this piece before rereading it several days later and deciding to turn it into this story. Of course the names and circumstances have been altered, but I still love it because it was my original inspiration.

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**Chapter 4: Thunderstorms and Nightmares**

She entered the pour of warm spray on her face, but quickly turned away toward the side and sank down against the concrete wall. Her sanctuary. Cold, lonely, dark, damp. But safe. Normally, she would be screaming and running away from the thunder and the storm. But not now. The rain could soak her all the way through. She didn't care. Her wounded heart seemed to have dulled her senses. She cried and cried, tears flying everywhere, mixing with the blurred images of the rain, until she couldn't distinguish which were God's tears and which were her own.

The wind blew and she tightened her fists in a grip around her legs, pulling her knees in closer. She curled herself into the tiniest of balls, hoping she would continue to contract until she disappeared altogether. Perhaps, if she could make herself small enough, she could cease to exist…

Serena's eyes blurred in the rain and her tears, and she tasted salt on her lips. It burned a cut on her bottom lip after biting it…. how could he? She had, unwillingly and unintentionally, given her whole heart to him, and without even realizing it, he had driven a sword through its center. The words still rang through her thoughts like knives.

'_I could never love you.'_

She wanted so much to lash back in an equal or stronger blow, but she no longer had the heart. Or _a_ heart, for that matter. And at that moment, Serena vowed she would never again open her heart to anyone. She would seal it in a steel case, lock it, and hide away the key where no one could ever find it. She would never let anyone come close enough to injure her like this again—the pain was worse than death itself, Serena was sure.

Serena's vision went out of focus again as another wave of tears poured from her eyes, blurring the world around her to become the unfocused world of dreams as her mind slipped away into sleep…

_The city was a blur before her eyes as she saw streams of lights below her fall away into the distance. She was being carried away by her Tuxedo Mask as he bounded the high buildings, whisking her away. Where to, she neither knew nor cared. She was finally in the arms of her love. She looked up into his face and he smiled as his eyes sparkled from behind his mask. He stopped on a rooftop and paused before lifting her had up to his temple and positioning it on the edge of his mask, leaving her to discover his identity for herself. But just as she smiled and made to remove it, Tuxedo Mask's face turned cold and e said to her, "I have a duty to my Princess alone. I cannot love or care for you. Besides, Serena, I know who you really are; you're a crybaby, a wimp! It's no wonder why the nickname 'Odango' suits you so well. And don't you ever study for anything? I don't think there's one test on this entire planet that you couldn't fail. You're so lazy and such a crybaby all the time! Don't you ever stop whining?"_

"_But, Tuxedo Mask, I'm not whining," Serena protested, "I'm trying to tell you something important—about, about how I feel about you,"_

"_Ugly Odango! Do you really think I could ever love somebody who winds their hair up so stupidly on the back of their head? I'll never love you, Serena…"_


	5. Chapter 5: An Unwelcome Companion

Chapter five is here! But first some replies to reviews...

**Baby Luna Kitty: **Thank you! This is the first story I've ever "published" for anyone to read in any form, so that means a lot to me. :grin:

**Bronze Wolf:** Yes, Serena will fake everyone out to think she's alright, but her condition might-errr-_improve_ after an encounter with a certain _someone_...

**LilyFlower0769: **Thanks. I'll need the luck not to fail the AP exam coming up in two and a half weeks... :wrings hands nervously:

**Raye85: **Oh yes, Darien will find her soon. Promise.

**Skye668: **Is this soon enough?

**Neko-Kitsune Miko: **I know exactly what you mean. I used to watch the english dub of the show on cartooon network when I was in elementary school but then they cancelled the show. :-( But thanks! I really do want to keep to canon as far as personalities are concerned...

**fearless FREAK on a MOTERCY...:** Yes,I know I should use the Japanese names, but to be honest, I never can remember them all (whoops) so I decided to write the story using the American dub names just to make things easier on myself.

...and now onto the next installment!

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**Chapter 5: An Unwelcome Companion**

"Serena," someone gently shook her shoulder, "_Serena._"

Serena opened her glassy blue eyes, and found herself looking into a similar pair of dark blue ones that contained a certain familiar sparkle that she couldn't place. But at the next moment it vanished so that Serena become convinced it was her imagination.

"Serena," the voice said again, more softly this time now that he could she was awake, "are you alright? What are you doing out here all alone in the dark and the rain at this hour? Are you off your rocker?"

Serena sniffed and looked at her hand on the ground, noting the dirt under her fingernails to avoid looking Darien in the face. Why were her hands so ugly and dirty? It would figure, considering that no one ever found her attractive…

"Leave me alone, Darien. I am not off my rocker; I just prefer sitting in the rain thank you very much."

"Ha! Nice try, Odango Atama, but I'm not stupid, I know you hate rainstorms and that you hate being wet almost as much as you hate thunder—"

"_Great, thanks for bringing my attention back to how miserable I am,_" Serena thought, "_It's going to be doubly bothersome to be sitting here soaked, now that you've made me aware of it—_"

"Wait just a minute, Darien! How exactly do **you** of all people know how much I hate thunder?" She raised her eyebrow at him accusingly.

"Well, umm, err—I've just noticed how you bolt when you hear thunder leaving the arcade, and how you look like you're about to cry—"

"Why on earth you notice that….and not tease me about it?" Serena asked perplexed; it surprised her that he wouldn't jump at the opportunity to tease her about yet one more thing…

"Oh, I dunno," Darien commented lamely, suddenly becoming very interested in a certain rock and studying it carefully. "I guess I felt bad because you really did look scared."

"_He sure is acting oddly…..he's not even teasing me…_"

They sat quietly for a minute before Darien turned back to face her, saying quietly,

"Come on Meatball Head, let's get you dried off." He stood up once more, and surprisingly, she followed suit without question. Something in his voice entreated that it was a kind request rather than an order, that he was gesturing to a silent truce of sorts.


	6. Chapter 6 Late Night Confessions to an U

Hey everyone! Thanks for being so patient while waiting for chapter six! I meant to have it up two weeks ago but I had AP exams all last week and yesterday I was in a car accident--my fault. So I finished this to cheer myself up as well as hopefully bring joy to those of you who haven't entirely lost faith in me returning...which probably isn't many. Oh, well. I'm sorry. But to make up, this chapter is, I think, the longest yet. Happy reading everyone!

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**Chapter 6: Late Night Confessions to an Unlikely Candidate**

Serena was completely unsure of where they were going, but she followed anyway. She had suddenly become aware of just how dark and late it was and was rather unwilling to venture home by herself.

They entered a tall apartment building and took the elevator to the eighth floor. Darien unlocked the door to his room, number 304, and they entered, dripping on the dark wood floor.

"Is…is this your apartment?" Serena asked curiously as she regained her voice, looking around the room, "It seems so……clean."

Darien nodded but voiced no comment.

The room was simple, yet very white. Books lay on a large coffee table, and may more volumes sat on a series of bookshelves on one wall. But there were no pictures, no photos of friends or family—

"Umm, Darien? How come you don't have any pictures?"

"What, are you hoping to steal one of Andrew?" He asked smirking. Serena blushed scarlet and tried desperately to hide it by continuing to look around the room. "I do _not_ care about Andrew," she said defiantly, although the embarrassed look on her face betrayed her. "But really, why no photos? Surely there's someone on this planet that doesn't hate you," she grinned, turning back to look at him. A dark shadow crossed his face and his eyebrows narrowed as he looked up at the walls.

"Well, Serena, it's a long story." She looked at him puzzled. "What?" he asked.

"You….you just called me…Serena."

"Huh. I guess I did, didn't I? Here, how about we get dried off first, and then we'll talk. I'll get us some towels."

"Okay."

Darien left the room and returned a few seconds later with an armful of towels.

"Here ya go," he said as he handed one to Serena. Then they sat in an awkward silence for a few moments, as each attempted to dry themselves as best they could. Then Darien gestured toward the couch and they both sat down, each eager to hear the other, but neither willing to begin talking. Finally Darien spoke.

"Now," Darien said as he sat down next to her, "It's time to talk. Serena, what's wrong?"

"Like I could trust _you _of all people, baka."

"You can trust that since we don't know each other very well, I won't go blabbing to everyone," he said raising an eyebrow.

Serena was horrified to think of _Darien_ of all people listening to her problems. "_I can hear myself now_," she thought, " '_Well, Darien, you see, I'm actually Sailor Moon, and I'm in love with Tuxedo Mask but he doesn't love me back because he loves the Moon Princess that's been haunting his dreams and whom the other Sailor Scouts and I are supposed to find and protect. Now I'm heartbroken, and I never ever want to find the Moon Princess because she'll take him away from me, and I hate myself for being so selfish.' Yeah, sure, Serena, you can tell baka all that." _She shook her head.

"Darien, look, it's…it's not that easy," she said quietly, fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

Darien looked at her sadly. Something was really bothering this girl and it really frustrated him that she wouldn't say what. How was he going to get her to talk?

"Hey, Odango Atama?" He cringed inwardly at his own words. He saw her scowl and almost physically flinched. He had been so close to getting to the bottom of her misery and then he had to go and retract back to his usual name-calling. Good job, baka.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly as she opened her mouth to reply, "I really won't call you that if it bothers you so much."

Serena closed her mouth slowly and nodded.

"Thanks," she said, and then smiled. Secretly, she actually thought it was sort-of _cute_ in a way, but…Whoa, Serena, hold up; we are NOT going down that road. You love Tuxedo Mask, remember? Oh, yeah, _Tuxedo Mask_…

Darien watched in confusion as her expression rapidly fell again from its usual smile. What, or rather, _who_, could be so cruel that they had hurt her enough to keep her depressed? It was weird, but Darien felt like some of his guilt from earlier that evening might be lifted if he helped Serena. Sure, Odango Atama wasn't Sailor Moon, but he had this strange inclination that if he comforted her, it might ease the pain that had taken root in his heart. But to help her, he had to get her to talk. And to get her to talk, he had to…

"Okay, Serena, well, if you won't talk, I guess that means I'll have to go first." He flashed her a grin.

"_Wow, I've never seen him smile at me before….It's rather _handsome_, actually…" _But the next second she shook herself mentally and looked up attentively. As she met Darien's eyes, he paused for a moment, and then began again.

"Okay, well the reason I don't put out any photos is…I don't have any. My parents….died in a car crash when I was just a few years old. I lost everything that day, including my memories. To this day I don't remember anything before waking up in a hospital bed with a really bad headache." He paused long enough to note Serena eyebrows furrowing in concern before continuing.

"I was raised until a couple of years ago in an orphanage, but I couldn't be happier to get out of there when I got a job and moved in this tiny apartment. It was freedom for the first time. It just never crossed my mind to decorate the place, I guess; I was so concerned about making sure I could stand on my own two feet that it just never bothered me." He looked back at her, waiting for her response

"Darien, I…I'm sorry. I never knew. All those times I teased you about….I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"It's okay," he said with a wave of his hand. "But what's not okay right now, if you. Serena, will you please tell me what's wrong?" She sighed deeply. There was no avoiding the subject any longer. He had entrusted her with his own insecurities, and she felt compelled to reciprocate.

"Darien,…" she began quietly, trying to buy herself time to think of how to word it—it wasn't exactly like she could start rambling about Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask all of a sudden. "I had this friend whom I loved very much, but now—now I've found out he doesn't love me because he has a responsibility to someone else." She looked up cautiously, afraid his eyes would be full of laughter. Instead, she saw fire in them.

"_What idiot would dump a girl out of responsibility to someone else?!_" Darien thought, fuming. "_Oh, yeah—Tuxedo Mask._"

"Serena," he said, choosing his words carefully, "Did you ever consider that maybe he _does_ love you, he's just afraid of this responsibility, whatever it is?"

Serena blinked, obviously confused.

"If he _really _loved me though, wouldn't that be more important than a responsibility to someone else?" Darien felt flames of guilt lash at his stomach. Serena voiced emotions he knew Sailor Moon must be feeling at the same moment. It was as though God himself had brought this girl to his apartment to tell him off for being stupid and cruel. But what else could he do? He couldn't possibly be loyal to two women at once, could he?

"I don't know Serena." "_I really just don't know._"

Unconsciously, he wrapped his arm more tightly around her as they sat in silence, both lost in thought. A tear slipped down Serena's cheek before she began to sob once more. Darien turned to her and cradled her softly.

"It's going to be alright, Serena, I promise." He turned her chin to face him, and instantly her eyes caught his.

"Sh_e has the same crystal blue eyes as Sailor Moon," _he thought hazily.

At the same moment, Serena seemed to have the same dilemma. It was suddenly getting much harder to breathe. The air that filled her nostrils was infused with a rosy aroma that made her struggle to stay conscious.

"_He smells just like Tuxedo Mask..._"

The next moment, air was no longer of any importance to either. The gap between them had closed, and his lips met hers in an unmistakable kiss.


	7. Chapter 7: A Rude Interruption

Hey everyone! Hope you all are enjoying the first week of June! I can't try to reply to them all directly, but thank you to everyone's positive reviews! I appreciate the complements more than you all will ever know. ;-)

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**Chapter 7: A Rude Interruption**

Serena was at her desk in the classroom pretending to listen to Miss Haruna go on about English pronouns as she stared out the window at the budding cherry trees. Their blooms broke free with the wind and flew away, reminding her of the scene from the previous night.

Everything had been perfect. It was a beautiful night, and she finally had found a moment alone with Tuxedo Mask without a youma about to blast them, or the other scouts watching from a close distance, ready to break them up at the first sign of intimacy. Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Venus trusted Sailor Moon, but they sided with Luna when it came to Tuxedo Mask. They weren't as sure as she was that they could trust him, and subsequently they had always been on guard when he was around Sailor Moon. They feared he was only using her feelings to manipulate her, but Sailor Moon continued to trust him whole-heartedly, even when he had broken it.

Tuxedo Mask had hurt her so badly when she knew she loved him, but even then she had trusted him in battle. Perhaps he really didn't love her, but he would continue to defend and protect her, she knew that much. After the battle, however, Serena had fled into the night crying once her friends' backs were turned, and somehow managed to run right into Darien's arms. And then Darien had…. had…. She touched her fingertips to her lips remembering the sensation. It was nothing like she had ever felt before, and even though she had never kissed anyone (unless you counted the time Melvin managed to corner her in the sandbox in the third grade), she was sure not all kisses felt like that. It was like an incredible surge of power had erupted within her, compelling her to, for the first time, throw caution to the wind and not listen to the conscience in her head telling her to pull away. Only minutes later when they had finally broken apart had she stopped drowning out that voice and had become aware of the predicament she had put herself in.

Darien had awkwardly apologized, seemingly just as confused and scared as she was, and had immediately suggested he walk her home because it was late. Ironically, it had long been past midnight, but she decided not to point out this fact. He had taken her home, and she had thanked him before climbing up the tree outside her bedroom and through the window. She had then changed into pajamas and fallen over in her bed, exhausted, but head still spinning. She hadn't slept but a couple of hours; instead, she had lain in bed, thinking. Why had they kissed? Did she really care for Darien like she cared for Tuxedo Mask? Or was it that he had, for a split second, reminded her so vividly of Tuxedo Mask? Was she really falling for two men at once? (And not to mention two men who happened to be way out of her league…)

"Serena!" Serena jumped at the sudden shriek and came out of her daze to see Miss Haruna's face hovering over her desk. Serena flinched.

"Yes, Miss H?"

"Serena, would you care to inform us what exactly is so very interesting outside that it is affecting your attentiveness?!" Miss Haruna scowled with impatience.

"Erm…nothing, Miss Haruna."

"Very well then, would you care to tell me the difference in the usage of 'who' and 'whom'?" Serena opened her mouth to reply, but found she didn't have one. Nor did she have the faintest inkling of what the words 'who' and 'whom' meant. Miss Haruna turned at least seven shades of purple before sighing and turning back to face the class.

"Serena, please see me after class about detention." Serena looked down, ashamed. Lita turned to her and whispered.

"Serena, is something wrong? Miss Haruna's right; you _have_ been staring out that window for a long time with a weird look on your face." Ami nodded with a concerned expression, but said nothing. Serena knew she didn't want to get caught talking in class.

Serena's thoughts drifted from Tuxedo Mask, to the Moon Princess, to Darien…

"No, Lita, nothing's wrong." Serena straightened up in her chair, determined to at least _appear _attentive, but she failed to notice the significant look Lita and Ami exchanged before following suit.

Several days later, Serena's mood hadn't changed, and Ami and Lita decided the issue needed to be addressed at the Sailor Scout meeting that afternoon. As usual, Serena was late.

"Where's Serena?" Rei asked exasperatedly, "She was supposed be have been here nearly half an hour ago!" Lita placed a hand on Rei's shoulder.

"Give her a break, Rei. You're always ragging on her. And, well, Ami—" She turned and made eye contact with her blue-haired friend and Ami nodded her consent before continuing, "Ami and I think something is seriously wrong with Serena."

"Oh, please, Lita, it's_ Serena_. She probably just stuffed her face too full of cookies and has a stomachache." Rei laughed cynically. The other four girls stood silent, exchanging glances for a minute before Mina placed a finger on her chin and spoke thoughtfully.

"You know, I have noticed that something's been different since that last youma fight. I don't know what it is, but it seemed to me that she seemed ….almost… ….heartbroken." Mina continued to gaze off into space for a moment but then quickly returned to focus upon her friends in front of her. "I think maybe we should just leave her alone about it for a while. If something really is wrong, no doubt, when she's ready to talk about it, she will." The girls nodded, just as Serena sauntered in, muttering to herself. She stopped suddenly, however, when she noticed how her friends were staring at her.

"Uhh, hi guys," she mumbled awkwardly, "sorry I'm late." It unnerved her to see the strange looks on their faces.

"Hey, Serena," Mina smiled with an effort that didn't escape Serena's notice, "Girls, are we ready to start the meeting?"

Half an hour later, the girls were conversing intently about the search for the moon princess, ignoring Serena's glazed eyes while she continued to stuff her face with cupcakes. But they all turned to her in bewilderment when she interrupted Lita mid-sentence.

"Guys…do you think a person can be in love with two people at once?" Lita blinked, confused.

"Where did that question come from?"

"Oh, I dunno." But it was apparent that Serena _did_ know, because she avoided the eyes of her friends.

"Serena!" Rei said when she finally unfroze, "Can you _please_ stay on topic for just one minute!?"

"Uhh, guys," Ami interjected looking at the open computer in her hand, "I think the meeting's gonna have to wait. Youma, Juuban Park." She looked up at the other girls with determination.

"Right," Rei said. "Mars Power!"

"Mercury Power!"

"Venus Power!"

"Jupiter Power!"

"MAKE UP!"

"Moon Prism Power, MAKE UP!"


	8. Chapter 8: Love and Trust

Chapter eight is up!

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**Chapter 8: Love and Trust**

"Venus Crescent Beam—Smash!"

"Mars Fire—Ignite!"

"Now Sailor Moon!" Venus shouted, "Before he has time to hit us again!"

But unfortunately, the youma was already throwing another ball of dark energy, and Sailor Moon was still looking at Venus. Jupiter screamed.

"Sailor Moon, lookout!" Sailor Moon turned just in time to see a huge black mass aiming straight for her. There was no time for escape.

The next moment, however, she had been swept into a pair of familiar strong arms and heard a loud groan from her savior.

"Tuxedo Mask!" she gasped as they landed a few feet from where the youma's attack had struck, "Are you alright?!"

Their eyes met and time froze. Sailor Moon searched the deep blue depths of his eyes, seeking the truth buried in his heart. In them, she saw an internal struggle, as if he were fighting with himself. One part of him wanted to put her down, the other part of him refused to let her go. In addition, she saw a glint of something else _familiar_ in those deep blue eyes. _Where had she seen it before?_

Finally, Tuxedo Mask managed to win over one side of his internal battle, and he released her, moaning.

"Just—dust—it," he said between sharp intakes of breath. She looked at him worriedly, but stood up and grasped the Crescent Moon Wand firmly.

"Moon Healing Activation!"

"Phew!" A chorus of four exhausted Sailors exhaled as a teenage boy fell unconscious on the ground before them. Meanwhile, their leader had immediately turned back to Tuxedo Mask, without even watching the youma detransform back into a human.

"Tuxedo Mask," she cried softly, holding back tears of hurt with ones of concern. _Why had he come to her rescue yet again?_

Sailor Moon looked up at him with wide eyes. He glanced at them for an instant, but then immediately turned away. He could not fall into their trap again. Surely, if he were to see the emotional pain reflected in them a second time tonight, he would be unable to control himself any longer.

"I'm fine," he muttered, and bent down for a moment, clutching something small in his hand, before taking off into the night.

Sailor Moon watched him silently as he left, a fist clamped over her heart.

The awkward moment between the two heroes, however, had not escaped the eyes of Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, or Sailor Venus. An angry scowl crossed Mar's face, Jupiter frowned disapprovingly, and Mercury looked worried. Venus, however, noticed something else in shock, and whispered something softly to herself.

"She loves him." Unfortunately, however, the words were lost in the cool night breeze, as the others started marching toward Sailor Moon with grim expressions of duty.

"Sailor Moon!" Rei ran up to the leader.

"Hmm?" Sailor Moon turned around and came out of her reverie.

"Sailor Moon, did you get the crystal?"

"Erm, no."

"Well who did?!"

"Tuxedo—Tuxedo Mask."

"What?! You let him take it?!" Sailor Moon merely nodded at the ground.

"Sailor Moon!" Rei exclaimed irritated, "You _know_ we can't trust him!"

"But Mars, really, he's looking for the Princess too! I just know he _has_ to be on our side!"

"No, Serena, we don't know. And you can't prove it. So we have to assume he is an enemy!"

"But Rei--"

"Look, Sailor Moon, we know you trust him, but really, I think Rei is right. Until we can be sure of his motives, we have to assume the worst." Amy spoke quietly, but with finality. Mina and Lita nodded in confirmation. They all secretly didn't want to hurt their leader, but they were determined to be on their guard.

Sailor Moon's expression dropped from persistence to compliance. It was useless. They would never trust Tuxedo Mask. She sighed.

"Okay, guys, let's get back to the temple. I'm exhausted."

Later that night, Serena had finally fallen asleep after complaining about a stomachache from eating too many chocolate chip cookies.

"But I didn't mean to! They just looked so good…." Serena had whined to Rei, who had responded in annoyance.

"Serena, it's not my fault you're so lacking in self-control! _So stop complaining!_"

After a few minutes, the four other girls were lying on their backs, listening to snores instead of the moaning they had heard for the past hour. Serena was asleep with her two odangos sticking up from a mound of pillows on the floor. They laughed for a bit watching her mumble in her sleep, but when one of mumblings mentioned something about 'Tuxedo Mask', the conversation had turned serious.

"You know," Rei said, glancing over at their sleeping friend, "I know I was mean to her about it earlier, but I'm really worried about Serena. I think she's gotten too involved with Tuxedo Mask. I'm afraid he might try to use her."

"Me too," Lita agreed, and Ami nodded. Mina however, looked down at the carpet under feet.

"She loves him." Her voice was expressionless.

"Huh? How... how do you know?" Lita asked.

"I'm the Senshi of Love," Mina replied solemnly, "I guess that's why I can tell. But I'm sure of it. The way she looked at him…" She trailed off for a moment, but then cleared her throat and continued. "The problem is, he _seems_ to really feel the same way about her, but I can't be sure. Which worries me," Mina finished. Rei nodded.

"I feel like…like there's something about him that we should know but we just can't seem to grasp. Like I have a feeling Tuxedo Mask plays a larger role in this than we are led to believe." The girls all gazed up at the ceiling in wonder, but the next second all eyes turned back over to the sleeping figure in the corner when Serena mumbled an entirely different name.

"Endymion…"


	9. Chapter 9: Unsuccessful Investigations

Hey everyone! I appologise for my sudden hiatus; I had written about half of this chapter when I ran into a bout of writer's block that stalled me for a couple of weeks. Thank you all for being so patient!

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**Chapter 9: Unsuccessful Investigations**

Serena hadn't seen Darien at all since their awkward nighttime meeting at his apartment. Instead, she had forced herself to get up early every morning so as to avoid running into him on her daily rush to school, and in the afternoons, she had taken walks around the park, thinking, instead of going to the arcade. Sure, she missed the Sailor V game, but she was willing to give up almost anything to avoid the baka.

Unfortunately for Serena, however, the girls decided that they would meet at the arcade today, 'for a change of pace', Rei had said. What Serena didn't know, was that they had ulterior motives for their decision not to meet at the temple as usual.

The four girls entered the arcade and approached the counter before taking their usual seats. Lita had suggested that they come early to be able to interrogate Andrew, but Rei had waved the suggestion aside, commenting that Serena was always late so it didn't matter. Rei was right.

"Hey, girls," Andrew said cheerily, "Can I get you something?" Mina answered.

"Well, actually, we're waiting for Serena, but we wanted to ask you a question. Serena…she's been…..distraught….. lately, we think, about these two guys……but she mentioned one in her sleep the other night and we don't know who he is……….Has she, err, mentioned anyone by the name 'Endymion' to you?"

Andrew scratched his head, eyebrows furrowed.

"Hmm, no, I don't think s—" But before Andrew could finish his sentence, there was a clang and black coffee poured out all over the counter.

Ooh, sorry Andrew," Darien grimaced, "I wasn't paying attention and I just knocked it over…"

"It's okay," Andrew said smiling, "Hang on, lemme get some towels…" The girls offered to help, but Andrew and Darien politely refused and the girls sat down at their usual booth a few feet away, defeated.

Andrew gave Darien a searching look while the two cleaned up the spill. Finally, he voiced his thoughts.

"Darien, what could possibly be bothering you enough to spill your coffee? You never spill, mess up, or break anything. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Andrew," Darien said quietly.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" Darien considered his words for a moment. How he wished he could tell his friend everything—about Tuxedo Mask, the Moon Princess, Sailor Moon, Serena….especially Serena...

Oh, the power of suggestion. As fate would have it, the bell on the door rang a moment later and Darien jerked his eyes up for a split second as a blond odangoed girl pushed open the glass doors. But he immediately returned his eyes to the coffee-stained countertop, hoping desperately Andrew didn't notice.

Serena entered the building facing the tile floor, determined to pretend she didn't see the dark-haired guy crouching in front of her friends who was holding a dripping towel.

"Just keep walking forward, Serena," she told herself firmly, trying to silence the tiny voice in her head that prayed he would approach her, or hold her, or do _something_ to prove that it all wasn't just a fantastic dream.

"Serena, you're late. Again." Apparently Rei was too tired to shout today, because she settled to point at the clock on the other side of the room instead.

"Rei, why are you always so hard on me," Serena whined. Whining. Perfect. Just the thing to start a fight with her fiery-tempered friend. And a fight with Rei could always distract Serena from anything.

Or so she thought.

Serena took a step forward to prepare for the shouting match, but in her haste, had forgotten the towel that had been dripping from Darien's hand…

The next second, she had lost her footing, and found herself falling backwards. Her arms flailed, but then a familiar sensation shot through them when two larger ones grabbed her just in time. She looked up, and her breath caught in her throat as she realized who was holding her—and remembered who was watching.

Serena stood up quickly and tried to remove her gaze from his face, but for the second time, she found herself being reminded of her masked knight in shining armor. She swallowed hard and muttered a word of thanks before quickly slipping into the booth next to Rei and staring at her sticky shoes under the table.

Darien watched her for a moment, and opened his mouth, intent on saying something, but his voice seemed to have fled with his courage. Instead, he turned, pulled a crisp paper bill from his pocket, deposited it on the table, and walked back out the glass doors.

Rei looked at the other three girls, eyebrows raised. Apparently, there was a lot more going on with Serena than they were going to figure out in one day.


	10. Chapter 10: Moonlight Musings

Hey everyone! Voila, chapter ten! I appologise that it isn't the most action-filled or lengthy chapter, but I felt that it wouldn't fit too well as the beginning portion of chapter eleven. I felt it needed its own separate domain.

_Merci!_ to all reviewers, and a happy friday to all!

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**Chapter 10: Moonlight Musings**

Darien watched as the stars twinkled against the black sky, He had long since given up on sleeping, despite how exhausted he was. It was now nearly three o'clock in the morning and about half an hour ago he had finally given up and risen from bed for some fresh air. He had hoped the night breeze from his balcony would calm his stirring mind, and yet it was to no avail.

He sighed. What had happened that afternoon would probably never allow him to sleep again…

So Endymion was the name of the guy who broke Serena's heart. _Endymion_. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. It wasn't exactly a name one would commonly hear in conversation. But, oddly, it rang a bell somewhere in the back of his mind; if only he could remember _why_.

And Serena had been talking about this guy in her sleep, which meant…

"_She really must love this Endymion_," he thought sadly. Not him. But could he really expect her to take him over another? Was it really fair for him to want Sailor Mono, the Princess, and Serena too? Darien didn't want to admit the truth, but in all honesty, he had no claim to Serena's heart when his was so clearly divided and confused. Not to mention that he had ambushed her, when she was lonely and vulnerable. Perhaps she even _regretted _the kiss. He quickly tried to put the thought from his mind, hoping against hope that wasn't true, but he couldn't deny that it would constitute justice.

"_If only justice existed in love as well as the world Sailor Moon sought to defend from evil,_" he muttered sadly, gazing up at the sky. The moon was barely visible, a mere sliver of light in a world of darkness. Sailor Moon's name did suit her character quite well. She, too, was a gleam of light in the life of Tuxedo Mask.

As if his thoughts had electrocuted his body, he felt the familiar pull in his chest, like someone had tied a tiny sting around his heart and was tugging on it, ever so gently. _She was in trouble_. Without another thought, he thrust his hand into his jacket and withdrew a single red rose. The next moment, Tuxedo Mask leapt from the balcony and into the shadows of night.


	11. Chapter 11: The Seventh Rainbow Crystal

Hello! I'm very excited to finally return with the first part of the...dun-dun-da-dun...finale! This is the longest chapter by far, and, I think, my favorite. Hope you enjoy and relish the yummy UM-ness.

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**Chapter 11: The Seventh Rainbow Crystal**

"Sailor Moon, what are you doing?!" Mars cried frantically as she dodged and a blast of dark energy missed her by inches.

"Chase after Zoicite and get that crystal!"

"Mars, stop bossing me around!" Sailor Moon whined but she took off in pursuit through the trees anyway.

The other Sailor Scouts circled the youma, while Mercury scanned it for a weakness.

"Hurry up, Mercury!" Jupiter said as Venus tried to trap it with her love-me-chain.

"Just…another…minute," Mercury said, biting her tongue as she continued to type away at her computer. "I think…yes! That's it!"

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Meanwhile, Sailor Moon had lost Zoicite's trail when she had entered the trees.

"Where did she go?" Sailor Moon wondered aloud. "Wait!" She dug her hand into her subspace pocked and withdrew the Crescent Moon Wand as it lit up in alert. Sailor Moon rushed forward through the trees, determined not to lose the last rainbow crystal. Tuxedo Mask had two of them, luckily, but Zoicite already had four.

The blinking became faster and faster as Sailor Moon ran, until she reached a clearing and had to stop to catch her breath. She came to a stop and rested her hands on her knees, panting.

"Looking for me?"

Sailor Moon revolved slowly on the spot until her eyes met Zoicite, standing several yards above on a large tree limb.

"I must admit I didn't expect you to come after me, Sailor Moon. You _are_ quite the coward." Zoicite smirked as she jumped to the ground below and straightened up before the blonde heroine. Sailor Moon stiffened at her remark, and a glint sparked in her bright blue eyes as they narrowed. She didn't want Zoicite to know she had touched a nerve.

"Give me that crystal, Zoicite!"

"I don't think so, Moon Brat," Zoicite sneered. "But I wouldn't mind giving you a bit of this!" A large crystal materialized in his hand, and he threw it, glancing Sailor Moon's side as two strong arms grasped her waist and pulled her away.

Zoicite disappeared and Sailor Moon gasped as she turned to see a deep gash in her side. The sight of the blood made her sick, and she turned away busing herself with untangling her waist from Tuxedo Mask's arms. But when they left her waist, she swayed on the spot. Tuxedo Mask's reflexes were sharp, however, and he grabbed her again just before she fell to the ground.

Everything around Sailor Moon was swimming; the trees were all a blur and she had just enough consciousness to register the Tuxedo Mask had taken her in his warm arms once again before she blacked out.

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When she woke up again, Sailor Moon left her eyes closed for a moment, confused as to why the bed smelt like roses. She finally mustered the courage and concentration to pry her eyelids open slowly, and as everything swam into view she lifted her head and realized that she was lying, not on her bunny rabbit-patterned bedspread, but rather someone's lap. As she raised her head slightly from the ground, the pain seared once more in her side and she remembered. She braced herself to see the blood covering the side of her fuku, but when she looked, instead her eyes found a large bandage wrapped about her middle.

"How do you feel?"

Sailor Moon groaned slightly, but looked up into Tuxedo Mask's deep blue eyes and uttered a small "okay,"

A few minutes later, Sailor Moon's full consciousness returned, and Tuxedo Mask, despite his mental misgivings, helped her to sit up and lean against his chest.

"Thank you," she said quietly, a blush rising in her cheeks. But she continued to shake, despite his support, and several minutes passed before he realized it was because she was sobbing.

"What's wrong," Tuxedo Mask asked, concerned.

"This—this isn't supposed to happen. Why do you have this connection to me?"

"Because you're the leader of the Sailor Scouts, I suppose," he said shrugging.

"But I'm not a leader!" Sailor Moon protested, "I can never do anything right; I'm such a klutz and I'm no good at school—"

"But you are the leader," Tuxedo Mask repeated firmly, looking into her eyes and forcing her focus back up to him, "I know you don't believe me, but you are."

"But you always have to save me and I don't have any talent; Sailor Mercury is so smart; Sailor Mars is braver than anyone I know; Sailor Jupiter's athletic and strong; and Sailor Venus always seems to know how to take charge. I can barely keep from losing my crescent moon wand everyday. I'm so useless; Zoicite was right, I _am _a complete coward. Maybe I should just hand it over to Venus now. She'd make a better leader anyway."

Tuxedo Mask looked at her sharply. How could she condemn herself so brutally? She may not be the brains, the spirit, the muscles, or the determination of the Sailor Scouts, but she was the heart. She was the only one with a heart large enough that it overshadowed her mind, strength, spirit, and fortitude, and compelled her to throw caution to the wind as she sought a way to heal the enemy rather than destroy it. And yet she refused to see this strength of character within herself for what it really was. Instead she was convinced that it proved her foolish, weak, cowardly, and clumsy.

He took her hand in his.

"That's not true," he said quietly, forcing her gaze back into his eyes.

"Then what am I good at, huh? Where's my great talent? Klutzing out? I can't continue to expect to win by tripping the scum from the Negaverse!" He noticed her eyes blurred with tears as she looked down at the grass again, fighting to hold them back, and he knew it was because she was willing herself not to trust him. It hurt him, but even so, he understood. After what he had done, she had every right to protect her heart from him with such caution. But he wished she wouldn't. He wished she would let herself fall into his arms and cry and remove the barrier she had placed upon herself.

"No, that's not funny, Sailor Moon. You _do_ have a talent, the best in my opinion."

"Oh really," she remarked savagely, "And what exactly is that?"

"Your ability to love." Sailor Moon's eyes glistened in confusion and she looked upward again, unsure she had heard him correctly. His intense dark blue gaze never faltered, ensuring she was not mistaken at his words, and forced her utter in bewilderment.

"What does love have to do with saving people or fighting evil? That's not a—" Tuxedo Mask held up a hand to stop her before continuing.

"Sailor Moon, I've never known anyone who could love others as you do. You would do anything, even die, for your friends. You care about everyone, and—" he seemed to lose his voice because the next words he would only barely whisper as his voice cracked, "And you found room in your heart to love me, despite all I did to hurt you, like no one ever has before. You made me care." He looked up at the sky quickly, hoping she wouldn't see his tears. Her gaze softened and she tipped his chin to face her again.

Her eyes were continuing to fill with salty tears, but this time they were accompanied by a watery smile.

"Tuxedo Mask, I wanted—_tried_, even—to stop loving you b-but….I couldn't. I love you because as long as I've known you, you've had this ability to give me the courage to believe in myself. No one has ever been able to do that but you." He smiled and she leaned up to kiss him.

A familiar passion erupted as their lips met, a kind of intensity Sailor Moon had only felt once before, but not as Sailor Moon. The shock and realization hit them both full force in that one moment but the kiss neither slowed nor ceased.

"Darien," Sailor Moon moaned into his mouth.

"Serena," he mumbled in reply, "Serena, it's you!" Many long moments passed until finally the need for air caused the two to separate, inhaling deeply.

But Sailor Moon immediately clung on to his chest again, pressing her head to his shoulder.

"Oh, Darien," She began still panting, "I was so afraid that I was falling in love with two people at once…." But instantly another thought struck her in terror and she pulled away from his embrace, fear filling her eyes. He noticed the change in her expression and she immediately turned to face the ground.

"Wha—what about the princess? _Your_ princess," she added, although it pained her deeply to say every syllable.

"Oh, Serena, I—" But he never got the chance to reply, for at that very moment he looked up to see a youma approaching her from behind.

"Sailor Moon!" He shouted in worry and grabbed her, forcing her out of the way just as a blast of energy hit him squarely in the chest.

"Tuxedo Mask!" She screamed in terror, clambering over to him despite the searing pain in her side.

He lay, panting, on the ground, and Sailor Moon's worry and fear seemed to erupt in anger.

"Hold it right there, Nega-scum! I finally get my moment with Tuxedo Mask and you're going to try to ruin it!? In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" She stumbled slightly as she stood and struck the familiar pose, and then grasped her tiara between her thumb and forefinger.

"Serena, NO! You're going to get hurt! _Serena!_"

"Moon Tiara Magic!" She cried as she threw her tiara and leapt in front of Tuxedo Mask. Another blast of energy hit them at the same moment Sailor Moon's tiara sliced the youma in half and Sailor Moon fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Serena!" Tuxedo Mask cried and bent over her, taking her head in his lap as tears streamed down his face. "Serena, please be okay,"


End file.
